Madonna delle Milizie Festival

The 2025 edition of the Madonna delle Milizie Festival was celebrated on Saturday, May 31, in Scicli, in the province of Ragusa. The usual papier-mâché scenery—the castle and the Saracen ship—was set up in Piazza Italia, serving as the stage for the sacred pageant of the 1091 battle. According to traditional accounts, the Holy Virgin descended from the sky on a white steed to aid the people of Scicli, and the conflict between the Normans of Roger I of Hauteville and the Saracens of Emir Belcane was resolved by the arrival of the statue of the Madonna on horseback.

For the 2025 edition, the Municipal Administration of Scicli entrusted an artistic direction team with the staging, the development of the script and music, the choreography, and the selection of actors and extras, featuring at least 40 participants in medieval costume. The reenactment confirmed the success of this tradition, which is inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.